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Philosophers call for profession-wide code of conduct

CU-Boulder philosophy department creating its own internal code of conduct

By Sarah Kuta

Camera Staff Writer

Posted:
03/12/2014 07:16:59 PM MDT

Updated:
03/12/2014 07:20:40 PM MDT

An online petition is circling among philosophers worldwide urging the American Philosophical Association to create a formal code of conduct and a statement of professional ethics for the discipline because of "recent events at more than one university."

The petition on Change.org, started by Eleonore Stump, philosophy professor at Saint Louis University, and Helen De Cruz, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, had 656 signatures Wednesday.

In an interview with the Camera, Stump said events at universities around the country in the last year prompted her to think about the need for a philosophy-specific code of conduct and ethics.

The American Philosophical Association now directs its members to the code of ethics created by the American Association of University Professors and to documents on its own website specific to topics such as discrimination, sexual harassment and others.

"But unlike sociology and psychology, we don't actually have a specific standard for professional ethics for the discipline," Stump said. "The Board of Officers of the APA have in the past thought that the code of ethics listed on the American Association of University Professors' website was sufficient, and it may be that for many purposes it is sufficient, but what all these current events show and what many people think is that it would be helpful if we had a more detailed code of ethics specifically for our discipline."

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Stump said the need for a philosophy code of ethics goes beyond revelations about the philosophy department at the University of Colorado. An independent report completed in the fall found sexual harassment, bullying and other unprofessional sexualized behaviors on the Boulder campus, which led to a new philosophy chairman and to the suspension of graduate admissions into the department until at least 2015.

Stump added that at Northwestern University, an undergraduate student is suing philosophy professor Peter Ludlow, saying he sexually assaulted her. In June, an Oxford University student committed suicide after she was allegedly harassed by a philosophy lecturer.

Last summer, well-known University of Miami philosopher Colin McGinn agreed to leave his tenured post after a graduate student brought forth allegations of sexual harassment.

"People are really deeply distressed, and it's good that they are," Stump said.

She added that in an ideal world, the American Association of University Professors' code of ethics would be enough for philosophy. But other disciplines have specific documents that outline, in detail, what's appropriate or inappropriate within the profession.

"A code of ethics is not only what you don't accept, it says what you aspire to," Stump said. "It also helps to say, 'As a profession, we find these kinds of things unacceptable.' That detail covers many cases which you wish we wouldn't have to think about, but obviously we do."

Amy Ferrer, executive director of the American Philosophical Association, said the association's officers will discuss the idea of creating a code of conduct at one of its next three meetings.

The association has talked about producing a code of ethics in the past, Ferrer said, adding that the group always welcomes suggestions and recommendations from its members.

"It's true of any profession that setting community expectations allows the profession to function better," she said.

CU professor Michael Tooley signed the online petition, writing that while individual departments can create their own code-of-conduct documents, it's important to have one written by the discipline's professional association.

CU philosophy chairman Andy Cowell, who took over Feb. 1 for outgoing chairman Graeme Forbes based on recommendations from the American Philosophical Association Committee on the Status of Women Site Visit Program, said his department has given itself an early April deadline to complete its own code-of-conduct document.

"Our goal is to post those on our website as models for best practices, not just in this department, but possibly other philosophy departments around the country," Cowell said.

Cowell said the CU philosophy code-of-conduct documents will outline what kind of department faculty members and students want to live and work in.

Though it might seem like everyone knows what an ideal department looks like, Cowell said, it's helpful to discuss those topics with faculty members, graduate students and undergraduate students.

"People often think everybody knows this anyway or there's a culture of the department that everyone should know this, but it's surprising when you start talking to people that they don't know it or haven't thought through it," he said.

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